FrankoSport
New
Greetings ...
Although Padraig Harrington will, in all likelihood, not be a key player in the hunt for the 2004 Tour Championship title, his mere presence in the event as a Special Temporary Member has raised some issues that the PGA Tour needs to address.
A Special Temporary Member is a professional player who begins a given PGA Tour season as a non-member, then earns at least as much money as the 150th player on the previous year's official money list. Such a non-member player can then apply for Special Temporary Membership (within 60 days of meeting the money requirement) and, upon acceptance, become eligible to accept an unlimited number of Sponsor Invitations (normal limit-7), as well as have unlimited use of Top-10 (and ties) Finisher exemptions (normal limit-5). They can also qualify for a free pass directly into the Final Stage (bypassing the first two) of PGA Tour Q-School.
Special Temporary Members can become members of the PGA Tour for the next Tour season if their earnings are at least as much as the 125th player on the current year's Final Official Money List. They can also qualify for the Tour Championship if their earnings are at least as much as the 30th player on the Official Money List prior to the start of the event. (NOTE: At no time during the PGA Tour season will a Special Temporary Member, or any other non-member, ever appear on the Official Money List unless, under current regulations, such players win an official PGA Tour event and then elect to join the PGA Tour right after the win.)
Special Temporary Membership money calculation involves all events recognized as official by the PGA Tour, excluding Team events. Non-team World Golf Championship events are among the "Official" group, but there's a catch -- money earned in such events is official - either in a player's total earnings for a given year (specificly, on the Official PGA Tour Money List) or, over his entire PGA Tour career - ONLY IF the player is a full-fledged regular PGA Tour member (as opposed to a non-member or a Special Temporary) before he qualifies for and plays in such events. (NOTE: Money earned in any non-team World Golf Championships played AFTER a Special Temp (or any other non-member) joins the PGA Tour IS counted as official.)
Full-fledged PGA Tour members are required to play in at least 15 official events each year in order to retain full member status and priviledges (NOTE: There are some longtime PGA Tour veterans who have made enough career cuts to qualify for a 12-event annual minimum). There are NO minimum playing requirements for Special Temps, or indeed any non-member player. Furthermore, season-to-date events played counts for Special Temps and other non-members INCLUDE non-team World Golf Championships wherein money earned by such players is deemed "unofficial".
Under current PGA Tour regulations, if a Special Temporary or any other non-member (includes amateur players) wins an official PGA Tour event and elects to join the PGA Tour immediately after that win, then their name will immediately appear on the Official Money List, affecting all below them - "all" includes players who have been full-fledged PGA Tour members since the start of the particular season.
All this brings us back to Padraig Harrington. Counting the Tour Championship, he has played 12 2004 PGA Tour events, including the three non-team World Golf Championships. If Harrington was in the chase for the Tour Championship title and if he were to win on Sunday, then he would - under the above-mentioned current rules - immediately appear on the Official Money List and affect players in the following positions ---
#20 (Top 20 go to 2005 British Open) - depends on final round results.
#30 (Top 30 go to 2005 US Open) - depends on final round results.
#40 Jesper Parnevik (Top 40 go to 2005 Masters)
#125 Tag Ridings (Top 125, 2005 Full PGA Tour Exemption)
#150 Paul Stankowski (126-150 Partial 2005 Exemption, spot in Finals of 2004 Q-School)
NOTE: #70 Jonathan Byrd (Top 70 go to 2005 PGA Tour Invitational events) would not be affected, as he is a 2004 event winner.
SUGGESTION FOR CHANGE
If a Special Temporary Member, or any other non-PGA Tour Member, wins an official PGA Tour event and elects to join the PGA Tour right after the win, then such a player shall not appear on the regular Official PGA Tour Money List in the same year that the win occurs unless he completes a minimum playing requirement of at least 15 official PGA Tour events. The count of at least 15 events shall not include any non-team World Golf Championships played prior to officially joining the PGA Tour.
REASONING
The Special Temporary (or other non-member) gets his exempt status with the particular event that he won. Therefore, not appearing on the Official Money List just because the minimum playing requirement was not fulfilled would not be fatal. Meanwhile, those full-fledged PGA Tour Members who earned their respective rewards as per where they stand on the Official Money List would no longer need worry about being bumped out of position, especially at THE most crucial point - season's end!
Although Padraig Harrington will, in all likelihood, not be a key player in the hunt for the 2004 Tour Championship title, his mere presence in the event as a Special Temporary Member has raised some issues that the PGA Tour needs to address.
A Special Temporary Member is a professional player who begins a given PGA Tour season as a non-member, then earns at least as much money as the 150th player on the previous year's official money list. Such a non-member player can then apply for Special Temporary Membership (within 60 days of meeting the money requirement) and, upon acceptance, become eligible to accept an unlimited number of Sponsor Invitations (normal limit-7), as well as have unlimited use of Top-10 (and ties) Finisher exemptions (normal limit-5). They can also qualify for a free pass directly into the Final Stage (bypassing the first two) of PGA Tour Q-School.
Special Temporary Members can become members of the PGA Tour for the next Tour season if their earnings are at least as much as the 125th player on the current year's Final Official Money List. They can also qualify for the Tour Championship if their earnings are at least as much as the 30th player on the Official Money List prior to the start of the event. (NOTE: At no time during the PGA Tour season will a Special Temporary Member, or any other non-member, ever appear on the Official Money List unless, under current regulations, such players win an official PGA Tour event and then elect to join the PGA Tour right after the win.)
Special Temporary Membership money calculation involves all events recognized as official by the PGA Tour, excluding Team events. Non-team World Golf Championship events are among the "Official" group, but there's a catch -- money earned in such events is official - either in a player's total earnings for a given year (specificly, on the Official PGA Tour Money List) or, over his entire PGA Tour career - ONLY IF the player is a full-fledged regular PGA Tour member (as opposed to a non-member or a Special Temporary) before he qualifies for and plays in such events. (NOTE: Money earned in any non-team World Golf Championships played AFTER a Special Temp (or any other non-member) joins the PGA Tour IS counted as official.)
Full-fledged PGA Tour members are required to play in at least 15 official events each year in order to retain full member status and priviledges (NOTE: There are some longtime PGA Tour veterans who have made enough career cuts to qualify for a 12-event annual minimum). There are NO minimum playing requirements for Special Temps, or indeed any non-member player. Furthermore, season-to-date events played counts for Special Temps and other non-members INCLUDE non-team World Golf Championships wherein money earned by such players is deemed "unofficial".
Under current PGA Tour regulations, if a Special Temporary or any other non-member (includes amateur players) wins an official PGA Tour event and elects to join the PGA Tour immediately after that win, then their name will immediately appear on the Official Money List, affecting all below them - "all" includes players who have been full-fledged PGA Tour members since the start of the particular season.
All this brings us back to Padraig Harrington. Counting the Tour Championship, he has played 12 2004 PGA Tour events, including the three non-team World Golf Championships. If Harrington was in the chase for the Tour Championship title and if he were to win on Sunday, then he would - under the above-mentioned current rules - immediately appear on the Official Money List and affect players in the following positions ---
#20 (Top 20 go to 2005 British Open) - depends on final round results.
#30 (Top 30 go to 2005 US Open) - depends on final round results.
#40 Jesper Parnevik (Top 40 go to 2005 Masters)
#125 Tag Ridings (Top 125, 2005 Full PGA Tour Exemption)
#150 Paul Stankowski (126-150 Partial 2005 Exemption, spot in Finals of 2004 Q-School)
NOTE: #70 Jonathan Byrd (Top 70 go to 2005 PGA Tour Invitational events) would not be affected, as he is a 2004 event winner.
SUGGESTION FOR CHANGE
If a Special Temporary Member, or any other non-PGA Tour Member, wins an official PGA Tour event and elects to join the PGA Tour right after the win, then such a player shall not appear on the regular Official PGA Tour Money List in the same year that the win occurs unless he completes a minimum playing requirement of at least 15 official PGA Tour events. The count of at least 15 events shall not include any non-team World Golf Championships played prior to officially joining the PGA Tour.
REASONING
The Special Temporary (or other non-member) gets his exempt status with the particular event that he won. Therefore, not appearing on the Official Money List just because the minimum playing requirement was not fulfilled would not be fatal. Meanwhile, those full-fledged PGA Tour Members who earned their respective rewards as per where they stand on the Official Money List would no longer need worry about being bumped out of position, especially at THE most crucial point - season's end!